Parking Rules and Regulations

Campus parking regulations and permit enforcement is 24 hours per day, seven days per week. All parking on campus is by permit only. All vehicles parked on university property must be registered, display a valid UNCW parking permit and park only in areas authorized by the permit classification.

Any vehicle parked on campus requires a permit. A vehicle is defined as any motorized form of transportation that requires insurance and/or a license plate under NC law.

UNCW Enforces Parking: with ticketing, booting and towing.

Rules and Zones: regarding service vehicles, fire lanes, loading zones, 24-hour reserved, handicap and visitor spaces must be observed at all times.

Lack of convenient parking is not a valid excuse for a violation.

Handicapped Placards: All faculty, staff, students and visitors must display both a state-issued handicap placard and a UNCW permit that is properly registered with the parking office.

Know your parking lines: White lined spaces are for Student parking, Yellow lined spaces are for Faculty/Staff parking, Teal lined spaces are for Visitors, Service Vehicles, Reserved, or Meter parking, Red lined spaces are for Emergency Vehicles and Blue lined spaces are Handicapped (must have State and UNCW placard displayed)

Other Important Information

If you have a change in any vehicle information (such as license plate number, license plate state, vehicle make/model, vehicle color, etc.) contact the Parking office immediately to update your vehicle information or to obtain a replacement permit. Current vehicle information is required and may result in a citation if it is not accurate.

Stolen permits must be reported to the Parking Office immediately. Replacements will be issued at Parking & Transportation Services during normal business hours.

Disabled vehicles must be reported to UNCW Police in person or by phone, 910.962.2222.

If you receive a ticket and have a valid appeal with documentation, you may appeal within seven calendar days. Written appeals to the Parking Appeals Committee are filed in the Parking & Transportation Services. ALL DECISIONS OF THE PARKING APPEALS COMMITTEE ARE FINAL. See Citations & Appeals for more information.

Resident Student Parking

General Resident Parking Regulations

Resident students are assigned permits to the one residential zone. Resident students may park between white lines in any lot within the one residential zone. (See Zones and Maps for more information.)

Parking permits must be affixed and clearly visible on the outside bottom left rear windshield or left rear bumper. Permits on motorcycles must be affixed to the fork in a place where it does not interfere with the operation of the fork or displayed in a lockable hanger. All other rules such as service vehicle parking, handicapped, 24-hour reserved, fire lanes must be observed at all times. (Note: Enforcement for parking permits will resume 48 hours after classes begin for the semester/term.)

Special Night and Weekend Parking Regulations

Resident students may park in non-gated faculty/staff or commuter zones between the hours of 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday-Friday and on weekends only, unless the lot is otherwise reserved (See Night and Weekend Parking Map)

Visitors of Resident Students Parking Regulations

Visitors of resident students must park in visitor lots, metered spaces or the visitor area of the parking deck.

Commuter Student Parking

General Commuter Parking Regulations

Commuter students are assigned permits by zone within the commuter area. Zones are assigned based the time of registration and availability. (See Zones and Maps for more information.) Commuter zones are designated by permit color: Gold, Magenta, Dark Blue, Cherry or Orange. Commuter student permit holders are restricted to their commuter zone Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.Commuter students can never park in residential zones at any time.

Parking permits must be affixed and clearly visible on the outside bottom left rear windshield or left rear bumper. Permits on motorcyclesmust be affixed to the fork in a place where it does not interfere with the operation of the fork or displayed in a lockable hanger. All other rules such as service vehicle parking, handicapped, 24-hour reserved, and fire lanes must be observed at all times. (Note: Enforcement for parking permits will resume 48 hours after classes begin for the semester/term.)

Special Night and Weekend Commuter Regulations

Commuter student permit holders may park in non-gated faculty/staff or commuter zones between the hours of 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday-Friday and on weekends only, unless the lot is otherwise reserved (See Night and Weekend Parking Map)

Night/Weekend Commuter Permits

Night permits are encouraged for those who live within the one-mile radius and participate in extra-curricular activities on campus or take classes after 5 p.m.

Vehicles registered with nighttime permits will be allowed to park on campus on weekends and from 5 p.m. until 7 a.m. Monday-Friday.

Nighttime commuter students cannot park in campus resident areas.

All other rules such as service vehicle parking, handicapped, 24-hour reserved, and fire lanes must be observed at all times.

One-Mile Radius Rule

Contact our office to see if your address is within the one-mile radius: parking@uncw.edu or 910.962.3178

Undergraduate students living within the one-mile radius of campus are prohibited from parking their vehicle on campus or in the Park-and-Ride lots during the hours of 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Seahawk Shuttleis available (free with your current UNCW One Card) at convenient pickup locations at local apartment complexes and on campus. Students may also purchase a night/weekend permit to park on campus after 5 p.m. Graduate students are exempt from one-mile radius restrictions.

One-mile radius appeals for parking permits will be reviewed for students who have special circumstances; i.e., limited access disabilities. All appeals must be written and accompanied with supporting documentation. Going to work after class is not a valid appeal. (Warning: Commuter students who provide false local address information with their vehicle registration will forfeit the cost of their permit and will go through disciplinary proceedings through the Dean of Students Office. If a student moves within the one-mile radius, the student must return his or her current parking permit for appropriate refund.)

Summer Parking

General Commuter & Residential Summer Parking Regulations

All Commuter students with a current UNCW Parking Decal may park in other commuter areas outside of their assigned zone during summer sessions (excluding East Deck). Everyone must be parked in white lines until 5pm. Commuters are not allowed to park in the Residential areas at any time.

All Residential students with a current UNCW Parking Decal may park in any of the Commuter areas or residential areas during summer sessions (excluding East Deck). Everyone must be parked in white lines until 5pm.

All East Deck Commuter Permit holders may park in other commuter areas during summer sessions. Everyone must be parked in white lines until 5pm. Commuters are not allowed to park in the Residential areas at any time.

All East Deck Residential Permit holders may park in any of the commuter areas or residential areas during summer sessions. Everyone must be parked in white lines until 5pm.

All Night and Weekend Permit holders must purchase a Summer permit in order to park on campus before 5pm during summer sessions.

Faculty and Staff Parking

General Faculty and Staff Parking Regulations

All faculty and staff permits, regardless of the date of issue, expire annually on September 30. Faculty and staff vehicles must be registered by October 1 annually. Faculty/staff parking permits are hang tags that are hung from the rearview mirror. If you have a motorcycle,a motorcycle sticker is required. (If you have a faculty/staff permit, this sticker is issued at no charge.)

Parking spaces for faculty and staff are outlined by yellow lines. Faculty/staff may park in white-lined spaces when designated employee spaces are unavailable. All other rules such as service vehicle parking, handicapped, 24-hour reserved and fire lanes must be observed at all times.

Deck parking permits: Faculty/staff may park in the gated parking deck ONLY with a valid deck parking permit. Faculty/staff with a valid deck parking permit may park in the deck as well as any other faculty/staff parking lots. (See Zones and Maps for more information.)

Faculty/staff gated parking lots: Gate mechanisms are operated by technology which detects that a vehicle is present. Cardholders simply wave their UNCW One Card in front of the large HID reader. The gate will automatically raise once the system confirms access privilege. You will not need to wave your UNCW One Card at the exit; the equipment will detect the vehicle and raise the gate automatically.

Gated lot access is provided to all permanent faculty and staff members with valid parking permits. Temporary staff do not receive gate access when they purchase a standard parking permit, and 30 day temporary permits do not allow gate access. Faculty/staff may not use their UNCW One Card to allow visitors or students to enter gated lots.

If you have any difficulties with your gate access privilege, please contact Parking and Transportation Services at 910.962.3178 or email us at parking@uncw.edu.

New Employees

All new employees must register their vehicle within 48 hours after beginning work. A free temporary parking permit is provided during the first 30 days of employment. If employment is longer than 30 days, an employee may purchase weekly parking at $10 per week (deck excluded), or a parking placard at the applicable salary rate.